by Audra Hart
Morna smiles happily and leisurely walks towards him. She wraps her arms around her mate and says, “Thank you for the iron-lion spell, but we don’t need it anymore.”
Luca chuckles and allows the spell to drop. “I was afraid you might be angry.”
“Not at all love. I can’t concentrate enough to weave a spell that complicated tonight. I was counting on you to protect me.” Morna admits. “Now I am counting on you to do something else for me.” And starts kissing him passionately.
Luca scoops her up into his arms and carries her to a nearby clearing. “Damn, I should have grabbed a blanket for you to lie on.” Morna starts laughing almost hysterically. “What’s so funny about that? I know the rocks and sticks won’t hurt you, but after what you have been through lately, I want to take care of you. You deserve it! I deserve the chance to do it.”
“I know love, I wasn’t laughing at you. I was laughing because I was thinking the same thing. I will probably have to go home soon because I can feel the chill in the air. I was wishing for a blanket too. Luca what is wrong?”
“I am sorry Morna. I am useless. I was gone this morning when you really needed me. I couldn’t defend you against your mother when she was killing you. You had to defend yourself. What the hell am I good for?” Luca demands in utter frustration.
“Lucian Michaels, don’t you ever let me hear you talk like that again! We both know I would have self-destructed many times over during the last several centuries without you taking care of me. We are two halves of the same whole. You know that. We have a symbiotic relationship. We sort of take turns taking the lead, and being the caretaker. At least you don’t create disasters left and right like I do.” Morna laughs at herself. “Darling, you make me happy. Every day, without fail. No matter what happens to us, I can count on you to love me.”
“Do I really Morna? Really make you happy I mean. Today I felt like I made you live in fear of disappointing me. Tonight I find out you have been hiding this horrible pain from me and it is not the first time you have hid it from me. I thought you wouldn’t hide anything from me. Not something big like this. Oh Morna, I just realized why I didn’t figure it out last time. That’s when I left you. I am so sorry baby. I was a real bastard.”
“No Luca. You needed time to cool off. I kind of deserved it. I think we are too hard on ourselves. Let’s just trust in the sure knowledge that we are both doing the best we can. Because that is a sure thing. Let’s go home and check on the kids and call it a night. I am suddenly very sleepy. By the way, I tried your idea. It is working quite nicely.” Morna assures him.
Luca looks at her skeptically and says, “Morna, reach out and search for me with your senses like you did tonight.”
“Why? You are sitting right in front of me.” Morna asks in utter confusion.
“Just do it, please,” He asks feeling frustration with her stubbornness.
“Fine.” Morna closes her eyes and stretches her senses out like she is searching for him. She smiles because he has moved and she has to actually feel around for him. She quickly finds him and locks onto him with her mind. And laughs, “Satisfied? What is this supposed to prove?”
“I wanted proof that you actually are feeling less pain, and it seems that you are.” He says as he happily takes her into his arms and says, “And you do indeed seem very sleepy. I’ll carry you home. Just relax and go to sleep, my love.”
Morna sighs happily as she snuggles into his perfectly formed, hard chest. “With pleasure, my love.” The trip home goes quickly and uneventfully. Luca assures everyone he meets on the way to their chamber that she is fine, only very sleepy. He carries her to bed and removes her clothes. When he pulls the covers over her she mumbles, “Don’t go anywhere,” and pulls his body to hers with her strong arms.
“Let me go get the kids settled into bed. I will be right back,” He promises and leaves before she replies. He goes directly to Kyle and pulls him off to the side. “What did you sense from Mom when I carried her in? Is she okay?”
“Yeah Dad. She seemed very peaceful. Earlier she seemed agitated and I thought I could sense that she was in a lot of pain. But I couldn’t sense that a few minutes ago.” Kyle assures him. “She’s okay, Dad. She has been in a lot of pain and turmoil today, but she is coping. She always does. She just seems to cope a lot better with you around.”
“Thanks, son. You want to help me put the little ones to bed or would you rather hang out with the weavers more tonight?”
“Nah, I would rather help you.” Kyle says honestly.
Luca finds Surt and asks him to go retrieve Morna’s kills from the park and prepare them for food. Morna is not venomous and the meat shouldn’t go to waste. And then he turns his attention toward his oldest son. “You really doing okay with everything that has been going on around here lately?”
“It’s all good Dad. Heimdall taught me how to shut my empathic senses off, so I can get a break when Mom is really hurting. But she is also learning how to shield better, so it’s all good. I promise, I would let you know if it was getting to me,” Kyle says with total honesty.
Luca spends a little time with the children and then gets them settled for the night. He assures Breena and Damian that Morna is okay before he joins the Spell Weavers in the main hall. He wants to make sure that they are all adjusting to the changes in Morna. When he arrives in the hall a heated discussion is taking place about Morna’s ability to control herself when the blood thirst takes hold.
“Dammit Dad! I told you, Morna can handle it. She knew exactly where I was the whole time and did not try to feed on me, not once! She could have took us all out when she first tracked us to that clearing. But she dropped to her knees and ordered us to run. And when she battled that monster from the Spirit Plane, she tried to make me leave, to protect me. Not just once, but again and again. Dad, the blood thirst and battle rage were so strong she was no longer human, but she still controlled herself and thought of me first. You just don’t understand, she was in total control!” Elias finishes his impassioned speech and looks around for anyone who wants to argue with him.
When no one speaks, Elias continues. “I know you guys think I am not capable of being impartial because Morna and I have such a tight bond. But that’s not what this is about. I am able to separate my feelings for Morna from the facts, and the facts are, she was and remains in control. She is the most powerful among us. And every damned one of you know she would die for any of us without a moment’s hesitation. She is the true leader of our Guild!” Elias slams his hands down on the table and looks around at his fellow Spell Weavers, daring any of them to disagree.
Fionn laughs and says, “Hell kid, I never doubted it. I plan to support her as leader of the Guild. No offense, but we have dangerous times ahead of us, and I want her in the lead.”
Bronwyn reaches over and pats Brian’s hand. “My love, I know you struggle with the possible danger our son faced today, but I know damned good and well that Mo wouldn’t hurt our boys. She loves them like her own kids. She always has. Besides, doing her duty and what is right and wrong have always been her paramount concerns. I plan to support Morna too.”
Carrick and Enya agree. Enya says, “We know how Rinda, Breena and Luca will vote.”
Brian snorts, “Look, I am not saying I wasn’t planning on supporting her. I just worry about all she has to deal with. If she has doubts about not being able to handle it, then we should listen to her. Elias is wise enough to be a good leader.”
“Dad, I would be a good leader. But we need a great leader, and that’s Morna, not me.” Elias says honestly. “She has the experience, the power, the wisdom, the heart, the devotion to all of us and to her duty, to do the job ahead.”
“Fine Elias. You are right.” Brian concurs. He notices his friend standing in the shadows at that moment. “Well Luca, I guess you heard all of that?”
“Yes, Morna’s asleep, but she’s probably aware of it too. I am glad you guys hashed this out. We all need to
be on the same page before we go to Airendell. Tomorrow we take Aiden to the healer’s hall. Any of you who want to come and help are welcome. Mordir is confident about Aiden’s chances. We also learned tonight that all of our children will be crucial in the battle ahead. I need warriors to stay here with Nora while we go to the healer’s hall.”
Brian and Bronwyn quickly volunteer for that job. “I bet the ‘Grandpas’ stay with her too.” Chuckles Bronwyn. “Nora has those two wrapped tightly around her little finger.”
Brian laughs at that and then gets serious. “Luca, do you mind if we try to teach Nora a few spells? I know she’s really young, but with everything that is going on around here and the baby coming and all, Nora should be able to protect herself.”
“We would be grateful for it,” admits Luca. “Morna and I have already talked about the need for the three children to be able to weave the iron-lion for protection. You know, Gullveig says that our son will be venomous. His siblings will need to protect themselves until he is old enough to control himself.”
“Okay, we will work on it tomorrow,” Bronwyn assures her old friend. “How did your trip to Oklahoma go? Everyone okay there?”
Luca’s face gets very serious. “No, I am afraid not. I have some bad news for Morna. Her old friend, the one everyone calls Mad Mike, passed away from the cancer. It was too advanced and he died two days ago. Morna and he were really close. She will be devastated.”
Bronwyn utters a silent prayer for the soul of Mike and says, “I really hate to hear that. What about the girls at The Bridge?”
“Most of them are fine. But one that Morna was really worried about has disappeared. By the way, Damian brought his sister, Mac, back with us. They really missed each other, and Damian wanted her where he could make sure she was safe,” Luca informs the group.
“Wise move,” says Carrick.
“I thought so,” agreed Luca. “Well, I should go check on Morna. I hope she is sleeping and not listening to us. She desperately needs to recharge. We will see you all at breakfast.”
After all the friends say their good nights, Luca heads for his mate. Brian catches him out in the hall. “Lucian, my old friend, are we okay? I hope you understand my reservations about Morna. I mean after today. Damn, I feel disloyal, but I was concerned.”
Luca slaps his old friend on the back. “Brother, I might have reacted exactly the same way had I been in your shoes today. Don’t ever feel you need to censor any reservations you might have. Morna and I both want everyone to be completely candid with us. We value your opinion, you know that.”
“Yeah, I do. Thanks Brother! Go check on your wife,” Brian says before he walks back into the main hall to join his mate and sons.
Luca checks to make sure the kids are all okay and resting well before he goes to Morna. She is sleeping soundly when he enters their bedchamber. She is even snoring quietly. Luca smiles to himself. He is hopeful that she was sleeping soundly enough that she didn’t hear the conversation in the main hall tonight. He doesn’t want her to start doubting herself or to know about Mike and Josie until she feels stronger.
He undresses and crawls into bed beside her. He is relieved that she only snuggles into his body and doesn’t wake. He wants to go talk to Damian and make plans, but he knows Morna rests better when he is with her. Besides, he loves being near her. She moans softly in her sleep and wriggles her body even closer to his own. He feels his need to make love to her rise in his body, but quickly quells it and focuses his attention on his son growing inside his mate’s body. The baby is very strong, there is no doubt about that.
The baby is growing at an alarming rate. Luca has to mind his concentration to keep the spell on her uterus growing accordingly. As strong as the child is already, Luca suspects that his spell will not only be protecting the baby, but will protect Morna from his movements and rapid growth. It can’t be easy to carry something that strong inside one’s body. Even a body as strong as his mate’s.
Luca lies there holding his wife and focusing on his child for about five hours, when it abruptly occurs to him that he can sense his child’s self-awareness. He can sense the child as a person, a sentient being. He is amazed that the child seems so advanced so early. He decides he shouldn’t be surprised. Nothing about this child is typical. He will be truly unique. Even more so than Breena’s and Damian’s children will be.
As his thoughts turn to Breena worry gnaws at him. He loves the diminutive Spell Weaver like his own sister and hopes she doesn’t suffer too much to have this child. He is certain that she is pregnant, he can already sense the changes in her body and wonders why he couldn’t detect the changes sooner in his own mate. He decides it must be because she was undergoing so many other changes and he had no reason to believe it was even a possibility.
Morna stirs in her sleep. “What’s troubling you, mo chroí?” She mumbles in a sleep thickened voice.
“Nothing, my love. Please go back to sleep.” Luca assures her as he gently caresses her back and stifles the urge to make love to her.
Morna rises slightly and looks into his face. She kisses his lips gently and lovingly molds her body to his. “I can feel and see that something is weighing on your mind. Tell me, please.”
“Honestly, I am fretting over Breena’s welfare and I have some bad news to give you.” Luca admits, “But I wanted to wait until you had rested.”
Morna sits up and strokes his face lovingly. She marvels at his beauty and the love for her that she sees in his eyes. “I am rested. In fact, I was thinking of going to the kitchen to get something to eat, and a cup of that blood.”
“Are you thirsty again?” Luca asks, suddenly concerned.
“No baby, just being careful. I don’t ever want to feel as out of control as I did yesterday. I hated that!” Morna admits. “I was scared of what I would do.”
“Elias is quite convinced you were fully in control. He has no idea what the struggle was truly like for you. I am not sure that I do. I have never allowed my thirst to get that strong since I was in exile at Airendell. You are wise to drink before the need over takes you. Hopefully your cravings will level off.”
“Darling, I am afraid they will just get stronger as the baby grows. Maybe I should consider drinking that human blood that Heimdall sent for. Maybe it will quench the thirst better. Did I hear you say that you have drank human blood before, from a blood bank?”
“Yes, especially when I was trying to keep an eye on you. I was nervous about leaving you. I would also do it when I was in medical school. It really kept the thirst down better than animal blood. I think you should try it,” Luca says candidly.
“Well, I will ask Heimdall for it tomorrow.”
“You don’t have to wait until tomorrow. He has already laid a supply in here. Let’s go.” Luca quickly gets out of bed and offers his hand to his mate.
Morna chuckles and takes his hand. She wraps her body in the robe lying over the chair beside the bed. She catches her mate’s eye and knows that he wants her as badly as she wants him. She smiles ruefully when he dawns his robe. Having a household full of other people is certainly inhibiting.
The pair of lovers walk leisurely to the kitchen. Morna finds some leftovers from supper and tucks into them with relish. Luca finds the stock of O-neg and puts a couple of units in a tall glass for her. He also pours her a glass of the milk that Thor keeps sending over for her and Breena. Morna finishes her leftovers and milk before she turns her attention to the O-neg. Her face reflects her uncertainty before she sniffs it. It smells more appetizing than the animal blood. She tentatively sips it and groans. “Oh man! What a difference!”
Luca nods. “I hope this doesn’t make it harder for you to resist humans. Before you didn’t know what you were missing, now you do.”
“Luca, I honestly don’t think that it will. I know that today, when I drained those animals in the presence of Elias, I honestly would have preferred to feed on him, but it simply isn’t an option. I am a lot like my ma
te that way, I refuse to be a monster,” Morna says with conviction.
“I know baby. I just worry it will be harder. But I am hoping the human blood will be more satisfying and keep the thirst under control better.” Luca strokes his mate’s face lovingly. “Are you ready to go back to bed?”
Morna gets up to wash her dishes. Luca tries to take over for her, but she swats his hand. “I am perfectly capable of cleaning up after myself. I know you want to take care of me, but I can’t stand not being allowed to do for myself. I am sorry, love.”
Luca chuckles. “No worries baby. I should know better. Let’s go to bed.”
“Okay, but first tell me the bad news.” Morna says stoically.
“Well, I am so sorry to have to tell you, but Mike passed away,” Luca says quietly.
“Damn!” Morna sobs. “He was a wonderful friend to me and I hate it that I wasn’t there for him at the end.”
Luca takes his mate into his arms and holds her gently as she mourns the loss of her friend. Luca feels the loss deeply too. He had become very fond of Mad Mike over the months he had hung out at The Shack to keep an eye on Morna. He was a good man and had been a good friend to his mate.
After about ten minutes Breena comes into the kitchen and wraps her arms around her sister and brother in law. “You guys okay?”
Morna hugs her sister and says, “Sure Bree. Luca just told me about a friend dying. Mad Mike lost his fight to prostate cancer. I should have been a little less self-absorbed. Maybe we could have helped him.” Morna chastises herself.
Breena shakes her head. “Morna, Rinda and I went to check on him. I knew how much he meant to you. He was too far gone for us to help. I am sorry.”
“Thank you for that Breena. You are awesome, you know that?” Morna says as she kisses her sister’s cheek.